The sparring match between Tie Zheng and Ao Pan captivated almost everyone’s attention.

They were both Golden Core cultivators, and even though their cultivation levels were suppressed to the peak of Foundation Establishment by the formation here, their actual combat strength still placed them at the top among the participants.

One was a martial cultivator and the other a body cultivator, both naturally suited for the Xingyun Trial of Xuanjia Cave.

Including Lu Zeng, any of the three Golden Core cultivators could potentially be the final victor. Perhaps, this sparring match between Tie Zheng and Ao Pan also foreshadowed the identity of the ultimate winner!

Tie Zheng and Ao Pan stood facing each other.

Tie Zheng’s bronze beast-head mask concealed his face, his eyes sharpened, and the twelve beast-head copper bells tied to his waist trembled slightly.

Ao Pan, on the other hand, had a hunched back and a chiseled face, with one eye larger than the other, indicating something unusual.

Ao Pan’s gaze swept over Tie Zheng, then fixed on his joints.

He let out a low growl, and his hunched body, like a spring compressed to its limit, suddenly unleashed a burst of impact.

Ao Pan attacked first, lunging at Tie Zheng.

With his movement, a Xuanbing Armor flew out from his sleeve, quickly transforming into a bronze sword.

The tip of the sword quivered, like a venomous snake raising its head. The sword body glowed with a faint green light, carrying an icy, bone-chilling aura, thrusting directly at Tie Zheng’s chest!

For a moment, gasps of surprise erupted.

This bronze weapon not only possessed mystical energy but also exuded a profound intent, clearly the seventh Xuanbing Armor.

Ban Ji held his breath, filled with envy.

“If I had a sword like that, my chances of winning would skyrocket several times over!”

But he didn’t.

The last one he acquired was a bronze saber, his fifth Xuanbing Armor.

The sixth one was indeed a sword, but he had exhausted too much, helplessly falling into a stalemate battle that he couldn’t win, ultimately dragging on until the third stage began.

It was a great pity!

Tie Zheng’s eyes, under the beast mask, narrowed slightly. He made a grasping motion, and then his close-fitting Xuanbing Armor flew out, transforming into a… cleaver.

The cleaver was heavy, its blade glinting with a cold, hard, mystic light.

Tie Zheng raised his arm and the cleaver, meeting the sword light with a decisive chop!

His saber technique was simple and direct, the saber light quite restrained, exuding an aura of straight, hard power, with the intent to sever all hard objects.

Another round of exclamations broke out from the crowd.

Because this saber was also the seventh Xuanbing Armor!

“Saber!” Ban Ji’s pupils instantly dilated, greed surging within him.

“Even if it’s a cleaver, it’s still a saber!”

“What a fine saber, what a fine saber! If only I had a saber like that—”

Zheng—!

The next moment, saber and sword clashed, an ear-piercing shriek tearing through the air of the cave, also assailing the eardrums of the onlookers.

The air exploded, stirring up a wave of qi mixed with golden light and saber gleam.

Ao Pan and Tie Zheng both retreated, stomping their feet so hard that the stone ground of the cave cracked inch by inch.

Their gazes clashed even more fiercely as they lunged at each other.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

A series of dense clashes between saber and sword rang out like popping beans, sparks flying continuously.

The battle fell into a stalemate.

Both being the seventh Xuanbing Armor, their strength was quite similar.

In the intense exchange, Ao Pan’s eyes narrowed slightly. He acutely noticed several small nicks and cracks on his bronze sword blade.

However, the cleaver in Tie Zheng’s hand was still shining brightly, showing almost no damage.

“We both have the same Xuanbing Armor, both made of Qingliu Bronze, so why is his so much more durable?”

“Is it due to his innate talent? Or the inherent toughness of his martial arts?”

Continuing the clash was disadvantageous. Ao Pan’s body shuddered, sending out three Xuanbing Armors, each transforming into a weapon, attacking Tie Zheng.

Tie Zheng was not to be outdone, also sending out three Xuanbing Armors, using offense as defense.

He was taciturn, but once engaged in battle, he displayed beast-like aggression and ferocity.

The cultivators watched, captivated.

Ning Zhuo was no exception.

He focused intently, secretly evaluating: “Tie Zheng and Ao Pan’s martial arts realms both show characteristics of a Master-level, superior to mine.”

“In close combat, I cannot compete with them. This aligns with my calculations.”

“As for their control abilities, they are rather unremarkable.”

Tie Zheng was a martial cultivator, Ao Pan a body cultivator, neither proficient in mechanism arts. Ning Zhuo’s mechanism realm had reached Master-level, surpassing them both in this regard, and thus he instantly spotted many deficiencies.

Ban Ji snorted coldly. His foundation in mechanism arts was even stronger than Ning Zhuo’s, so he naturally saw Tie Zheng and Ao Pan’s shortcomings as well.

The sparring continued.

Gradually, Ao Pan gained the upper hand.

His weapons couldn’t match Tie Zheng’s cleaver in a head-on clash, but his skill in commanding these Xuanbing Armors was significantly better than Tie Zheng’s!

The more Xuanbing Armors Ao Pan used, the more obvious his advantage became.

Ning Zhuo quickly assessed in his mind: “Both of these individuals have acquired the seventh Xuanbing Armor, so they probably don’t have an eighth one.”

According to the intelligence he had gathered earlier, the sixth Xuanbing Armor could consume spiritual power, the seventh exuded intent, and by the eighth Xuanbing Armor, one could use force, bringing their most advantageous battlefield with them!

The later the Xuanbing Armor, the more powerful it became.

“According to past records, very few cultivators have been able to subdue the eighth Xuanbing Armor.”

“If Tie Zheng and Ao Pan possessed it, they would surely reveal it in such a crucial sparring match.”

The eighth Xuanbing Armor was extremely powerful in battle, so there was no need to hide it. Bringing it out immediately would very likely determine the outcome.

Clang, clang, clang————

Six or seven weapons circled around Tie Zheng and Ao Pan, swords coming and going, sabers flying, staffs and spears clashing, the battle complex and dazzling to watch.

The two communicated telepathically, reaching a secret agreement, then both took a step back and suddenly ceased fighting.

Both knew their limits and didn’t immediately fight to the death.

Just as Tie Zheng said, this was merely a “spar.”

There weren’t just the two of them in the arena, but also other Foundation Establishment cultivators, and another Golden Core cultivator.

If the two fought each other to the death, wouldn’t that just allow Lu Zeng to reap the benefits?

Tie Zheng and Ao Pan were naturally not foolish.

The two walked together towards Lu Zeng.

Lu Zeng’s face was solemn, feeling a sense of unease.

Tie Zheng spoke first, his tone stiff: “Fellow Daoist, have you acquired the seventh weapon? If so, why not reveal it directly?”

Ao Pan nodded: “Exactly, there’s no need for further sparring.”

The two had just exchanged blows for a while and realized that fighting against cultivators of the same level, their Xuanbing Armors were not very durable and were already pitted and scarred.

It should be known that they had just used up the only opportunity to repair and maintain their Xuanbing Armors during the entire Xingyun Trial.

And the third stage had just begun; they did not want to be the first to fall into the predicament of having no weapons.

Lu Zeng’s brows furrowed upon hearing the question: “Fellow Daoists, which of you will come first? Whoever strikes first, this Lu will primarily attack them!”

Lu Zeng could not produce the seventh Xuanbing Armor, because he had not succeeded.

Under these circumstances, he could only display ferocity to potentially protect his own interests.

But the next moment, Tie Zheng and Ao Pan exchanged glances, both seeing the intention in each other’s eyes.

“Since that is the case—” Ao Pan smiled slightly and cupped his hands to Lu Zeng.

Tie Zheng chimed in, “My apologies, fellow Daoist.”

The two agreed, then simultaneously attacked!

Lu Zeng sighed helplessly, having no choice but to engage in battle.

As soon as the battle began, Tie Zheng and Ao Pan gained the upper hand. Not only did they have a numerical advantage, but they were also a body cultivator and a martial cultivator, skilled in close combat. Lu Zeng, however, was a genuine mechanism cultivator, and could only continuously retreat.

Ning Zhuo’s eyes reflected the trio’s advancing and retreating clashes, analyzing in his mind: “Tie Zheng and Ao Pan’s combat power here is probably among the best.”

“Now, the first and second strongest joining forces to deal with the third strongest is a wise decision.”

“If it were me, I would do the same.”

Watching sparks fly from the battle of the three, constantly damaging the cave as they moved, rock chips flying, Ning Zhuo also assessed his own combat strength.

“Lu Zeng’s mechanism arts realm is at least Grandmaster-level! If he also had the seventh Xuanbing Armor, then the situation would be very complex. It might even lead to the three Golden Core cultivators uniting to first eliminate the other cultivators.”

“Any one of them is stronger than me. This current situation is somewhat advantageous to me.”

All three Golden Core cultivators were hundreds of years old, while Ning Zhuo was only a teenager, barely a fraction of their age.

Close-quarters martial combat was also not Ning Zhuo’s primary cultivation, so it was perfectly normal for him to be inferior!

“Lu Zeng’s defeat seems inevitable.”

“Once he is eliminated, will the remaining two Golden Core cultivators team up against us, or will they turn on each other?”

Ning Zhuo tried to analyze Tie Zheng and Ao Pan’s temperaments.

“Tie Zheng is a lone wolf, hunting and living alone in the mountains. Ao Pan is skilled with a long whip, and his fighting style is to avoid the enemy’s direct assault, countering strength with softness.”

“Neither of these two are the type to lose face, so the possibility of them teaming up against us Foundation Establishment cultivators is very high!”

Ning Zhuo’s thoughts raced, quickly scanning the surroundings.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators exchanged glances, already eager to move.

Ning Zhuo gritted his teeth: “The best strategy right now is actually for the Foundation Establishment cultivators to unite and resist the two Golden Core cultivators.”

“But—that’s unlikely.”

Ning Zhuo’s gaze fixed on Ban Ji, who was also glaring fiercely at Ning Zhuo.

“Kill!”

“Let’s all attack him first!”

“Whoever backs down first is a coward. When we join the Wanxiang Sect in the future and become fellow disciples, I will despise them forever.”

Many cultivators shouted at each other, mutually binding themselves to form an allied army, and together they charged at Zhang Wangxing!

Zhang Wangxing: ??!!

He had relied on his primary cultivation technique, the “Scripture of Ever-Changing Flesh and Blood,” to achieve victory after victory in the early stages, but he suffered severe losses with the fourth Xuanbing Armor.

By the sixth one, he could only endure, passively taking blows, and he painstakingly held on until the third stage began.

When he arrived at the cave, he was nothing but a mess of flesh and blood, encasing several bronze artifacts.

Fortunately, this period was specifically designated for self-recovery and weapon repair, prohibiting cultivators from attacking each other.

Zhang Wangxing seized this opportunity to reshape his body and take a huge gasp of air.

However, he did not expect that when the free-for-all began, he would be the first cultivator to be targeted collectively.

“No—I got beaten in the second stage, and now in the third stage, I’m getting beaten again?!”

“In the second stage, only one weapon attacked me, but in the third stage, five or six cultivators, twenty or thirty weapons, are attacking me?!”

“Do you—do you really think I’m easy to bully?!!”

Zhang Wangxing’s eyes turned red. He roared, rallying five Xuanbing Armors to counterattack.

Everyone got excited.

“Look, he only has five!”

(Zhang Wangxing roared: “Don’t you only have five too?!”)

“He’s the weakest!”

(Zhang Wangxing yelled: “You’re weak! You’re the weakest!”)

“Take him down first, take him down first.”

(Zhang Wangxing, outwardly fierce but inwardly timid: “Come on, come on, whoever strikes first, I’ll beat you senseless!”)

“Fellow Daoist Zhang, why don’t you just surrender! I can’t bear to gang up on you.”

(Zhang Wangxing, exasperated: “Utterly hypocritical! You’re hitting the hardest!”)

Several heavy bronze battle-axes cleaved down fiercely, sharp bronze longswords struck with cunning moves, and copper hammers swung in full circles, bringing gusts of ill wind, aiming directly at Zhang Wangxing’s head.

None of the cultivators held back. The Xuanjia Cave had a grand formation that could effectively prevent cultivators from sustaining serious injuries or dying. This had been proven in countless Xingyun Trials.

Soon, Zhang Wangxing’s newly donned, wide gray robe was pierced and cut to tatters, hanging on him like a few pieces of scrap cloth.

Zhang Wangxing was forced to reveal his bare legs and run desperately within the cave.

From left to right, then from right to left.

Many cultivators followed behind him.

Puchi!

A vicious bronze longsword pierced his left chest, but Zhang Wangxing’s heart was not there.

Two bronze battle-axes struck almost simultaneously! One aimed at his exposed collapsed neck, the other at his waist and abdomen. Zhang Wangxing had nowhere to evade. In the nick of time, his upper body suddenly folded to the right.

His spine emitted a teeth-grinding crack, as if forcefully bent by an invisible giant hand.

The battle-axe aimed at his neck only sheared off a few strands of his hair. The battle-axe aimed at his waist and abdomen, however, cut into his left ribs.

Zhang Wangxing struggled to run, but at that moment another copper hammer struck his back.

Zhang Wangxing spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, mixed with fragments of internal organs.

Just then, he happened to run near Ban Ji.

“Young Master Ban Ji, help me, just this once! I will repay you, I definitely will.”

Zhang Wangxing pleaded with Ban Ji for help.

Ban Ji retreated decisively.

Zhang Wangxing refused to give up, trying to get closer, but Xuan Zaijiang ruthlessly attacked, forcing him back.

Zhang Wangxing, left with no choice, had to change direction and continue fleeing.

He struggled to escape, and as he fled near Ning Zhuo, he cried out, his body heavily injured: “Young Master Ning Zhuo, Master!

Save me, save me! I am willing to be your ox and horse, I will help you deal with Ban Ji for free.

“Right now, I just need you to lend a hand, just lend a hand!”

“To be defeated now, I am unwilling, so unwilling!!”

Ning Zhuo shook his head wordlessly and immediately dodged.

He still remembered that outside Xuanjia Cave, the first time he communicated with Zhang Wangxing, the latter had asked him to name a high price and even threatened Ning Zhuo that he, Zhang Wangxing, might also be hired by Ban Ji.

Now, the situation had evolved into this.

It was truly a bit awkward!

Zhang Wangxing had a poor reputation, and Ning Zhuo certainly wouldn’t incur public wrath to protect a cultivator he had met for the first time.

However, just as he was retreating, Zhang Wangxing suddenly burst with power, threw out a chain.

“Ning Zhuo, where are you going!”

At the same time, several of the cultivators chasing him from behind also attacked Ning Zhuo.

This was a trap!!